Your quest to find the one is dictated by your genes – and opposites DO attract (sometimes)

Chimpanzees - our closest animal relative - chose mates who a genetically the most different from the, research shows

By ANDREA DOWNEY

12th January 2017, 10:35 am

Updated: 12th January 2017, 12:40 pm

THEY say opposites attract - and the reason why may be in our DNA.

When it comes to hook-ups, chimpanzees - our closest animal relative - are more likely to chose mates whose genetic makeup is the most different from their own, scientists have found.

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Chimpanzees, our closest animal relative, pick mates that are the most different from them, a study has found

Chimpanzees are no strangers to casual sex and will mate with multiple partners in their lifetime, but when they want to find a chimp to settle down and have children with they are far more selective, researchers found.

Senior author Anne Pusey, professor of evolutionary anthropology at Duke, said they weren't sure exactly how the chimps chose their mates, but guessed it may be based on appearance, smell or sound.

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Scientists have found that our choice of partner could be in our DNA

Part of what is driving their choice could also be the prevalence of inbreeding depression - which is when offspring inherit the same harmful version of a gene from both parents and therefore genetic vulnerabilities that are normally masked become active.

Now the researchers are trying to figure out how chimpanzees recognise and favour mates whose DNA is more different from theirs.